Draw quandary for trainers

Jack Milner

BARRIER CONCERN. Safe Harbour drew out at No 21 when the nominations for the Grade 2
Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies were announced yesterday.

Guineas first leg of Triple Crown, Triple Tiara.

Runners from the stables of Sean Tarry and Mike de Kock dominate the entries for the R1- million Betting World Gauteng Guineas and the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both Grade 2 races, over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 4 March.

Tarry has nominated six to run in the Guineas and four for the Fillies Guineas while De Kock has entered five horses for the Guineas and six for the fillies event.

However, De Kock does have an overlap as fillies Ektifaa and Orchid Island have been nominated for both events.

Both have run against and beaten the boys and they do get a 2.5kg sex allowance in the Guineas. However, Ektifaa, winner of Saturday’s Tony Ruffel Stakes (Grade 3) at Turffontein has drawn widely for both races and that could leave De Kock with a quandary. Orchid Island drew No 9 of 18 for the Guineas but No 13 of 30 entries in the fillies Guineas.

De Kock had further bad news when Heavenly Blue drew widest of all for the Guineas but the good news for the yard is that Daffiq drew No 4 and Janoobi No 8.

The news was no better for Tarry as Matador Man drew No 15 in the Guineas while Safe Harbour, at 108 the highest meritrated runner in both fields, has landed up at No 21 in the fillies’ race. However, his unbeaten colt, Al Sahem drew beautifully at No 5. The Guineas is the joint first leg of the SA Triple Crown while the Fillies Guineasis the joint first leg of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara. The Grade 1 Cape Guineas and Fillies Guineas are also considered for the leg of both events.

The R7-million SA Triple Crown for three-year-olds is the richest series of races in Africa. The other two legs are the R2-million SA Classic (Grade 1) over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday 1 April and the R2-million SA Derby (Grade 1) over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday 6 May.

A bonus of R2 million will be paid to owner of any horse who can win all three legs. So far three horses have achieved this – Horse Chestnut in 1999, Louis The King in 2014 and Abashiri last year.

The other legs of the Triple Tiara are the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic(Grade 1) over 1800m and the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (Grade 2) over 2450m. These are run on the same day as the Classic and Derby respectively.

A bonus of R1 million will be paid to the owners of any filly who wins all three legs of the Triple Tiara. Two fillies have earned the bonus – Igugu in 2011 and Cherry On The Top in 2013.

Supplementary entries close at 11am on Monday 20 February while declarations must be in by 11am on Thursday 23 February.

The final fields will be embargoed and announced on TellyTrack.

Entries for the R1-milion Betting World

Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m at

TUrffontein on Saturday 4 March.

5 AL SAHEM (S G Tarry) 60.0

2 CHILI CON CARNE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0

1 COPPER POT (S G Tarry) 60.0

4 DAFFIQ (M F De Kock) 60.0

11 DOOSRA (J A Janse van Vuuren) 60.0

6 FURIOSA (S G Tarry) 60.0

18 HEAVENLY BLUE (M F De Kock) 60.0

8 JANOOBI (M F De Kock) 60.0

12 LIFE IS GOOD (M G Azzie) 60.0

15 MATADOR MAN (S G Tarry) 60.0

10 MAXIMIZER (P A Peter) 60.0

13 MILITARY AWARD (W H Marwing) 60.0

14 RIBOVAR (S G Tarry) 60.0

7 TILBURY FORT (S G Tarry) 60.0

3 UNAGI (G M Alexander) 60.0

16 WINTER IS COMING (F Robinson) 60.0

17 EKTIFAA (M F De Kock) 57.5

9 ORCHID ISLAND (M F De Kock) 57.5

Entries for the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift

Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)

over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 4

March.

8 AL HAWRAA (M F De Kock) 60.0

20 ANNA PAVLOVA (R R Magner) 60.0

12 BABBLING BROOKE (O A Ferraris) 60.0

6 BEING FABULOUS (J A Janse van Vuuren)

60.0

17 BELLE ROSE (M F De Kock) 60.0

14 BIBLICAL SUSAN (M F De Kock) 60.0

18 DELIGHTFUL DANCER (D J Nieuwenhuizen)

60.0

19 EKTIFAA (M F De Kock) 60.0

3 ELUSIVE STRIKE (S M Ferreira) 60.0

16 GRANDE ROCHE (G V Woodruff) 60.0

9 KILMOKEA (R A Hill) 60.0

10 LAST CHIRP (S J Gray) 60.0

5 MALEFICENT (A G Laird) 60.0

11 MY FRIEND LEE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0

13 ORCHID ISLAND (M F De Kock) 60.0

22 ORIENTAL OAK (R R Sage) 60.0

1 POOL PARTY (R R Magner) 60.0

7 RED POMEGRANATE (M F De Kock) 60.0

4 REDBERRY LANE (S G Tarry) 60.0

2 ROUGE ALLURE (S Moffatt) 60.0

21 SAFE HARBOUR (S G Tarry) 60.0

15 SANTIBURI (R R Sage) 60.0

24 SMILING BLUE EYES (S G Tarry) 60.0

23 VISUALITY (S G Tarry) 60.0

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